Americans celebrating Martin Luther King Day today should be proud of the incredible progress made since the civil-rights leader’s birth 87 years ago. At the same time, we should lament one of President Obama’s greatest failures.

The last Democratic president and the last Republican president both managed race relations more effectively than Obama has. Seven years after American voters made history by electing the country’s first black president, racial tensions have worsened.

It didn’t rank on Obama’s one-item list of his “few regrets” during his State of the Union address. But signs of Obama’s failure are on our streets, on our campuses and among our leaders, left and right.

Amid this tension, Obama has been disturbingly passive — even during America’s first serious race riots since 1992. He acts like a meteorologist observing the bad weather, not a president able to shape the political climate.

How embarrassing that Obama’s most memorable act of presidential leadership on race may end up being inviting a black professor and a white cop to the White House for his 2009 “beer summit.”

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State group’s relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.

St. Elijah’s Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years, including most recently for U.S. troops. In earlier millennia, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches, prayed in the chapel, worshipped at the altar. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ’s name, were carved near the entrance.

This month, at the request of the AP, satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe tasked a high resolution camera to grab photos of the site, and then pulled earlier images of the same spot.

Before it was razed, a partially restored, 27,000-square-foot stone and mortar building stood fortress-like on a hill above Mosul. Although the roof was largely missing, it had 26 distinctive rooms including a sanctuary and chapel. One month later photos show “that the stone walls have been literally pulverized,” said imagery analyst Stephen Wood, CEO of Allsource Analysis, who pinpointed the destruction between August and September 2014.

As the third open enrollment period winds down on the health insurance marketplaces, one thing hasn't changed much since the online exchanges opened: It's still often hard to find out whether a plan covers abortion services.

The health law requires insurers to say one way or the other, and they have gotten better about reporting abortion coverage details this year, advocates on both sides agree.

But the federal government has yet to put out final instructions on how insurers should handle the issue on their Summary of Benefits and Coverage overview. Lacking specific instructions about what to say and where to say it, many insurers have simply left the information out of the summary, advocates say.

That leaves consumers in a bind. "It's not easy to figure out whether a plan covers abortion and if it does, to what extent," said Kinsey Hasstedt, a public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization that supports abortion rights.

The "Fourth Industrial Revolution" is already underway, according to a report from the World Economic Forum, which is focusing on how technological change is reshaping the workplace and global economies at its meeting this week in Davos, Switzerland. Developments in fields including robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence will change workplaces and the required different skills from workers in the years to come, according to "The Future of Jobs" report.

Not everyone will be impacted equally, with the report concluding that the jobs most at risk are office and administrative roles. Other industries with negative job outlooks include manufacturing and production, the arts and entertainment, construction and extraction, and installation and maintenance. Overall, automation and robotics will cause 5.1 million job losses over the next five years, the researchers found.

"As entire industries adjust, most occupations are undergoing a fundamental transformation," wrote World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab and managing board member Richard Samans in the report. "While some jobs are threatened by redundancy and others grow rapidly, existing jobs are also going through a change in the skill sets required to do them."

It happens almost like clockwork, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton casts her gaze out over the crowd at her town hall style event looking for someone to call on, and then she spots cuteness.

Clinton's stump speech has changed from the summer when she was seen as the prohibitive front runner, to the fall when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders started gaining on her, to today with Sanders leading in New Hampshire and quite possibly in Iowa too. But one part of her campaign has not — her habit of calling on kids at her town hall style events.

Her campaign says she has called on more than 500 people since she started running for president last spring, and child questioners make up only a small share of that total (she was asked at least 29 questions by kids since July). But they are by far the most memorable, and a couple have wound up in campaign ads and videos.

OCEAN CITY — The summer-long fireworks displays, laser shows, concerts and other free special events will continue this year and beyond after Ocean City officials voted to extend the contract for the promoter of the activities.

The Mayor and Council last week voted to extend the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) annual $300,000 contract to produce the free, value-added special events such as the popular fireworks displays, laser shows, concerts on the beach and at other various venues, Sundaes in the Park and many others through 2017. TEAM Production’s Bob Rothermel, who, along with Jack Hennen, produces many of the value-added special events that have become so popular during the summer and throughout the shoulder seasons, was seeking an extension through 2018, but after considerable debate, the council voted to formally approve the contract extension through 2017 with at least tacit support for an extension through 2018 and beyond.

Rothermel explained the $300,000 investment in TAB has been typically extended in one-year increments, which has somewhat curtailed TEAM Productions’ efforts to secure long-term commitments from private sector sponsors and to take advantage of the cost savings associated with longer-term private contracts. He said TEAM’s successful track record warranted an extension beyond just one year and would help the public-private partnership to explore new special events.

If you fall off a curb, bop your head and go to the ER to make sure you're OK, there's a good chance you'll be trundled off for a CT scan.

That might sound comforting, but people with injuries minor enough that they get sent home are increasingly being given computed tomography scans, a study finds. That's despite efforts to reduce the unnecessary use of CTs, which use radiation and increase the lifetime risk of cancer.

There's been a lot of focus on excess use of CTs in children, but much less on adults who go to the emergency department for things that turn out to be no big deal.

MIAMI — Nearly half a million foreigners who legally entered the U.S. remained here after their visas expired last year, according to a government study that is the first of its kind.

The report, obtained by USA TODAY, is the first analysis of a population that is largely unknown. The so-called "visa overstays" represent an estimated 40% of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country, but are overshadowed by undocumented immigrants who sneak across the nation's southwest border with Mexico.

The results collected by the Department of Homeland Security indicate that those who overstayed their visas are a tiny fraction (1.07%) of the nearly 45 million foreigners who legally entered the country in 2015. Yet the numbers are sure to spark debate about immigration enforcement at a Senate hearing Wednesday where DHS officials will testify about the findings.

Congress first ordered the department to conduct a report on visa overstays in 1997. Members of Congress have spent years asking department officials for the data, only to be told by DHS that it couldn't be compiled.

(CNSNews.com) – Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said on Monday that court decisions in the United States have “gravely weakened” the American family, including allowing minors access to birth control, same-sex marriage and abortion on demand.

“We have to re-empower American parents,” Perkins said in his second annual State of the Family address at the group’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. “The decisions of our courts on contraception for minors, abortion-on-demand, and redefining marriage have gravely weakened the family.

“Our blindness to the reality of the disintegration of the family and the dismissal of the role of our churches must also end,” he said. “The promise of strong efforts these past seven years to restore fatherhood and re-establish family life in our poorest communities has faded completely.

“Instead, national policies have sown confusion about the very definition of family,” Perkins said.

An Ohio college professor who called Israel “the spiritual heir to Nazism” and spoke openly about “Jihad” is being investigated by the FBI for possible links to ISIS.

An FBI spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday that the bureau was looking into Kent State University associate professor Julio Cesar Pino for ties to the terrorist group, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. Pino, who is also reportedly known as "Assad," is an associate professor of history specializing in Latin American history and the third world.

“Because it’s an ongoing investigation, I can’t say too much about it,” the spokeswoman said.

Pino, who is from Cuba and is a convert to Islam, denied the allegations.

(CNSNews.com) - President Obama frequently points to the nation's 5 percent unemployment rate as a sign of economic strength, but he doesn't mention the labor force participation rate, which is hovering at lows not seen since the late 1970s.

"And the extent to which people are not working is a very significant drag on growth in the American economy," Robert Doar of the American Enterprise Institute told CSPAN's "National Journal" on Tuesday.

As CNSNews.com has reported, the labor force participation rate has steadily dropped since its record high of 67.3 percent in early 2000. In December 2015, only 62.6 percent of the civilian, non-institutional population over the age of 16 participated in the labor force by either having a job or actively seeking one. Not since 1978 has the labor force participation rate been that low.

According to Doar, "If we had the same labor force participation that we had prior to (Obama's) presidency, we'd have 8 million more people working" right now.

"My view is, is that over the last eight years, and going back into the Bush administration a little bit as well, there was more of a focus on getting people signed up (for public assistance) and not enough on employment. And I think that's a problem. Not because I want to hurt or harm people, but because I think people are better off when they're working."

A .50-caliber rifle found at Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman’s hideout in Mexico was funneled through the gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious, sources confirmed Tuesday to Fox News.

A .50-caliber is a massive rifle that can stop a car or, as it was intended, take down a helicopter.

After the raid on Jan. 8 in the city of Los Mochis that killed five of his men and wounded one Mexican marine, officials found a number of weapons inside the house where Guzman was staying, including the rifle, officials said.

(Pikesville, MD) – Maryland State Police are urging drivers to use caution and think twice before heading out this weekend due to the potential snow storm.

Here are recommendations from state troopers:Stay home this weekend unless the nature of your employment requires you to travel (emergency responder, medical profession, snow removal etc.);Maryland State Police will begin towing vehicles currently abandoned more than 24 hours prior to the storms arrival;Once the snow emergency plan is put in place for a particular county, abandoned vehicles will be towed immediately;If you have to drive, ensure you are driving a vehicle equipped for snow travel;Don’t abandon your vehicle on a snow emergency route (interstate, MD or US route) without notifyingMaryland State Police or the police agency responsible for that particular roadway;If you have called a private tow to remove your vehicle, let Maryland State Police know so we don’t dispatch resources to have it removed;If you have an accident, move your vehicle out of the travel portion of the roadway if possible and contact Maryland State Police;Give snow plows room to work and do not try to pass a plow train;If your vehicle is towed, contact the barrackor local police agency where it was abandoned with a full description (make, model, tag number and exact location) so the towing company information can be provided to you for pickup;

“For this snow storm, drivers should make informed decisions before they leave home because once you are on the highway, it may be too late to change your mind,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel William M. Pallozzi said. “Make every effort to say off the highways if at all possible during the snow storm. Troopers are ready to address traffic crashes and delays and will be working in coordination with the State Highway Administration, Maryland Emergency Management Agency and other related agencies.”

Drivers can take advantage of the live traffic cameras made available by the State Highway Administration. The traffic cameras are positioned at various locations throughout Maryland and can give drivers important information about their route of travel before leaving. The cameras and other real-time traffic information can be found by visiting www.roads.maryland.gov and clicking on “commuter” and then clicking on “live traffic.” Additional information concerning road conditions can be obtained on line at www.511md.org or by calling 5-1-1.

Citizens are urged not to call Maryland State Police barrack to simply check on road conditions. Calls to police or 9-1-1 centers during the storm should be for emergency situations only.

(CNSNews.com) – Brent Bozell, president of theMedia Research Center (MRC), praised the Republican National Committee (RNC) forcancelling its agreement with NBC to host the party’s upcoming presidential debate in Houston on February 26.

“This was the right move by the RNC. After the dreadful performance by CNBC’s moderators at the Republican debate in October, it makes no sense to continue to allow committed left-wingers in the media to decide the nominee of the Republican Party,” Bozell said in a statement on Monday.

“NBC News’ brand has been severely diminished by its continued antics over the last year in particular. NBC has proven itself unworthy of hosting a Republican primary debate,” Bozell continued.

“If NBC News ever wants to participate in this process again, I suggest it become reacquainted with journalistic ethics and fairness.”

WASHINGTON — Pop quiz: Do you know the difference between a blizzard, a snow squall and a flurry?

Yeah, we were confused too.

So we asked Storm Team 4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer to lay it all out for us.

“A flurry is just when you see some snow coming down but it’s one flake here, one flake there,” he says.

“A snow shower … and it could be a light snow shower or it could be a heavy snow shower … but it comes down and you can definitely see that there’s a trend for snow falling from the air. It’s not one snowflake here, one snowflake there, it’s snowflakes everywhere.”

Remember when universities used to encourage freedom of academic inquiry and were seen as intellectual and social preparation for the transition into adulthood? I know; that was a long time ago — before the left infected these institutions.

Everyone knows about the leftward slant of most American universities: their monolithic biases; their bent toward politicizing their curricula; and their practice of indoctrinating students. But increasingly the results of leftist community organizing — the toxins of political correctness — are seeping into university disciplinary rules.

This deplorable trend has concerned me for years, but it is particularly disturbing when it is occurring at my alma mater, the University of Missouri.

I'm not talking about Mizzou's recent racial controversy but reports that the university is now encouraging its students to file a report any time they witness or experience a "bias incident." It would be one thing if they were talking about true incidents of racial or some other form of discrimination, but it appears it's much more expansive than that.

According to the university's online statement, a "bias incident is an act of intolerance which is committed against any person, group or property and which discriminates, stereotypes, harasses or excludes anyone based on" any of some 20 different categories, from race to religion to gender expression, and yes, even physical appearance.

After more than a year on the job, and as her office continues to prosecute six Baltimore City Police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, a new poll finds Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby with a 59-percent approval rating among registered Democrats.

The Gonzales Research poll finds 26-percent disapprove of the job Mosby is doing, and 15-percent have no opinion.

However, there are big differences in the way black voters and white voters view the first term Democrat, who defeated incumbent Gregg Bernstein in 2014.

The poll, finds that 76-percent of black voters approve of the way Mosby is doing her job, while 9-percent disapprove, and 15-percent had no opinion.

The poll finds only 26-percent of white voters approve of the way Mosby is doing her job, while 62-percent disapprove of Mosby, and 15-percent have no opinion.

In a 2014 study for the National Bureau of Economic Research, Stanford University’s Robert Hall wrote about America’s sub-par economic performance. His opening line was basically a preemptive refutation of Obama’s claim – made during the State-of-the-Union Address – that the economy is strong.“The years since 2007 have been a macroeconomic disaster for the United States of a magnitude unprecedented since the Great Depression.”

The incidents occurred around 10:00 a.m. this morning, Wednesday January 20, 2016 when a robotic style or computer generated voice phone call was received in each of the school’s offices.

Students and faculty at both schools were evacuated onto busses and transported to a predetermined location while administrative searches were conducted with nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious located. Students and staff were allowed back into their school upon the completion of the search and resumed their daily activities.

If anyone has any information in reference to any of these incidents they are asked to contact Troop 2 Youth Aid Division at 302-834-2620, Troop 3 Youth Aid Division at 302-697-4454, or Troop 4 Youth Aid Division at 302-856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet atwww.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

U.S. Department of Transportation Agency intends to remove “potential roadblocks" to integration of tech

In the Obama Administration’s latest welfare for Silicon Valley billionaires, the President intends to ask Congress for $4 billion in federal subsidies and nationalization of transportation safety regulations in an effort to speed the deployment of driverless cars.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, surrounded by about a dozen auto and Silicon Valley tech leaders, announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the U.S. Department of Transportation Agency intends to remove “potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can significantly improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.” These code words mean driverless regulatory design is being turned over to Silicon Valley.

Fox also released a statement that details President Obama’s request for the 2017 budget to steer about $400 million in each of the next 10 years to “test pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a common multi-state framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.” These code words mean big subsidies flowing to Silicon Valley.

There is nothing new about the concept of self-driving “autonomous vehicle automation.” For decades, robot vehicles have been transporting materials in factories and gigantic Caterpillar 100-ton computer-guided dump trucks have transported ore around mine sites. Closed-loop transportation ecosystems are easy to program and a central controller can usually be positioned in a tower above the worksite to visually maintain control.

Here's what you need:4 cups of potatoes, peeled and chopped3/4 cup of onions4 cups of chicken broth1/2 Tbsp. of salt1/2 Tbsp. of pepper4 Tbsp. of butter1/4 cup of flour1 1/2 cups of heavy cream1/4 cup of sour creamShredded cheeseBaconChopped scallionsDirections:Add the potatoes, onions, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Set it to low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

In a saucepan, combine the butter, flour, heavy cream and sour cream. Whisk until thickened. When the slow cooker is done, pour in the thickened mix. Stir, cover and set the slow cooker to low for another 30 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped scallions. Enjoy! Click title if video fails to load

The Wicomico County Board of Education’s first public budget hearing for the fiscal year 2016-2017 General Fund Operating Budget will be held at 5:30 p.m.Thursday, Jan. 21 in the Board of Education Auditorium, 101 Long Ave., Salisbury. Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Public input is critically important in the budget process for Wicomico County Public Schools. For information please call 410-677-4561.

More information about this can be found on the WCBOE website by clicking HERE

One in 10 Americans who plan to cast a vote this election will do so for the first time in years

Ted Wade hasn’t cared about politics enough to cast a vote in a U.S. presidential election for almost a quarter of a century, back when he supported Ross Perot’s independent candidacy in 1992.

But Republican Donald Trump’s 2016 White House bid has motivated Wade to get involved and he plans to support the real estate mogul in Nevada’s nominating caucus next month. Trump is a “non-politician” who can fix the “chaos” in Washington, he says.

About one in 10 Americans who plan to cast a vote this election will do so for the first time in years, if ever, and Trump holds a decided edge with them, according to polling by Reuters/Ipsos.

As we’ve been made painfully aware this campaign, Hillary Clinton is no Bill Clinton.

But what should worry Hillary is that Ted Cruz just might be.

In last week’s debate, Marco Rubio lit into Cruz with a lengthy harangue of supposed flip-flops on immigration, trade, ethanol and other issues. Rubio charged Cruz was no “consistent conservative.”

In short, Rubio was calling Cruz out as being politically “slick.”

If so, he shares certain attributes with successful two-term presidents — the ability to engage seemingly contradictory elements of the party base and ideological, ahem, “fluidity” that drives other members of the party nuts.

Ronald Reagan made his career in Hollywood, yet managed to “sell” himself so successfully to the working-class and blue-collar voter that these people became known as “Reagan Democrats.”

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will close six Walmart Express stores in north Mississippi, impacting nearly 180 workers.

But the company said it will offer those employees jobs elsewhere if available.

“Our goal is to place as many associates as possible who would like to continue with the company at other nearby locations,” said company spokeswoman Anne Hatfield. “We will be giving impacted associates priority for open positions at other nearby stores. We expect that some associates will transfer to another location and others will take severance and pursue other job opportunities. As we’ve seen with other store closures in the past, the majority of associates who wished to transfer were able to.”

These days, many Republican leaders are playing an unappetizing game of “would you rather.”

The conventional wisdom, which once dictated that neither Donald Trump nor Sen.Ted Cruz could possibly be the party’s nominee now says that one of the two men will necessarily claim the nomination.

A weekend piece in the WaPo congealed this narrative into one tar-thick blob of despair for the GOP elite. After two cycles of defeating the Jacobins of their party’s base, the revolution is upon them. Cries of defeat and despair ricochet off of their opalescent kitchen counters and $75 bottles of “table wine.”

The received and accepted analysis is that since Trump and Cruz did not “implode” in the way that Mitt Romney’s rivals did four years ago, they cannot be stopped. Adding to the despair is the fact that the consensus pick for the Republican elite,Jeb Bush, did a belly flop like Shamu at a matinee show. The old magic did not work. Money did not equal victory. Don’t let the nanny hear you quietly sobbing in your den.

Leave aside for now the fact that the conventional wisdom is probably just as wrong about the future as it was about the race to this point. The bladder-voiding panic has come to official Washington, which, of course, brings a smile to the faces of nearly every Republican voter beyond the Beltway.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:In light of a recent string of threats made against schools across the Delmarva Peninsula, the Indian River School District would like to reassure parents that procedures are in place at every school building to insure the safety of their children.

Three district schools have received threats since January 11th. Each incident was handled with the utmost competence and professionalism by school staffs. State and local police searched each of the buildings, often with the assistance of a K-9 unit, and the schools resumed normal operations within two to three hours.

Although the credibility of these threats is in question, the district will continue to take all necessary precautions to protect students.

“Every district school has a Comprehensive School Safety Plan that addresses a variety of emergency situations, including bomb threats,” Superintendent Susan Bunting said. “Staff members are trained on these plans and know their duties when a threat is received by a school. During these recent incidents, teachers and staff did a phenomenal job keeping students calm and orderly during the evacuation and search process.

A landmark settlement over the NYPD’s controversial Muslim surveillance program will leave the cops under the scrutiny of an independent observer appointed by City Hall.

The deal, announced Thursday by police and the New York Civil Liberties Union, resolves the twin lawsuits brought in New York against the NYPD for its post-9/11 program focused on the city’s Muslim community.

“This settlement is a win for all New Yorkers,” said NYCLU Legal Director Arthur Eisenberg. “It will curtail practices that wrongly stigmatize individuals simply on the basis of their religion, race or ethnicity.”

The mayor, under the deal, will name a civilian attorney from outside the NYPD to ensure the department’s work follows the established guidelines. The appointee will serve a five-year term.

“If that person has any concerns ... they can and must go to the police commissioner and bring (their) concerns to his attention,” said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of the Legal Bureau Larry Byrne.

The attorney would also have access to the mayor and a federal judge if any concerns arise.

The observer will attend NYPD internal meetings to insure the department is “complying with the current guidelines,” said Byrne.

The settlement followed months of talks that began in the summer of 2014, shortly after Mayor de Blasio took over at City Hall. It still needs court approval from judges overseeing the two lawsuits resolved by the deal.

State and local police and K9 units are responding to East Millsboro Elementary School in Millsboro and Everett Meredith Middle School in Middletown following bomb threats about 10 a.m. Jan. 20.

State police say both schools have been evacuated or are in a lockdown mode as police respond.

In the past week, numerous bomb threats have been called to schools across Delaware, including Rehoboth Elemenatary School Jan. 19, as well as to schools in Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey among others.

Bomb and mass shooting threats were made against more than two dozen schools in New Jersey on Tuesday, along with schools in at least six other states, forcing evacuations and lockdowns that affected thousands of students.

They were the latest in a string of anonymous threats of violence, all apparent hoaxes, made against U.S. schools in recent weeks.

As least 26 schools in New Jersey received the threats by phone starting at about 8:50 a.m. EST, said Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, adding that the schools were all subsequently declared safe.

"When we catch the people doing this, an example is going to be made," Saudino said.

Made in a robotic voice, the threats appeared to come from computer-generated phone numbers that could be traced back to a location in Bakersfield, California, Saudino said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen will hold a Superintendent’s Open Door Session from 4-6 tonight in the Administrative Conference Room of the Wicomico County Public Schools Building, 2424 Northgate Drive (behind Lowe’s), Salisbury. Open Door Sessions provide the opportunity for people to meet one-on-one with the superintendent to express concerns, offer comment, or ask questions on any issue involving Wicomico schools. No appointment needed. Each visitor will have approximately 15 minutes to meet with the superintendent. Follow-up sessions will be held if there are more visitors than there is time on the scheduled night. 410-677-4495

A documentary about the failed 2013 political comeback of sex-texter Anthony Weiner — whose wife Huma Abedin is Hillary Clinton's closest aide — could unsettle Clinton's presidential campaign amid attacks reminding voters of her husband's own sex scandals, the New York Times reports.

Citing its preview of the documentary, "Weiner," at the Sundance Film Festival, the newspaper describes the work as "an unfettered look at the implosion of Mr. Weiner's mayoral campaign and a wrenching inside account of the couple's interactions in the aftermath of his second explicit texting scandal."

The 5th Annual Foundation for Delmar Education Gala is fast approaching! This special event offers businesses, alumni, and friends an enjoyable evening together celebrating the future education of our Delmar schools. The gala is an opportunity to raise funds for academic programs, classroom technology, and teacher development. Tickets are on sale in the Delmar School District Office. Please contact the District Office at 302-846-9544 (option 6) or jan.steele@delmar.k12.de.us for more information. We hope to see you at this wonderful event!

The Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce banquet scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 23 has been postponed due to the threatening weather forecast for later this week. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, also at the Alice B. Tawes Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center community room.

New invitations will be issued, call 410-968-2500 or email info@crisfieldchamber.com for more information.Source

Donald Trump, the reality television star-turned-politician, was endorsed by Sarah Palin, the politician-turned-reality TV star, in his front-running bid to be the next Republican U.S. president, his campaign said on Tuesday.

To voters, it may seem a natural fit. Though she never made it to the White House after becoming the party's vice presidential pick in 2008, Palin's style, which showed a candidate could be popular by eschewing policy minutiae in favor of plain-speaking, is seen as a precursor to Trump's recent success.

"I'm proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president," Palin said in a statement provided by his campaign.

Trump said he was "greatly honored" by the endorsement, according to his campaign's announcement. "She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for," his statement said.

A federal judge has ordered that the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence pay the legal fees of an online ammunition dealer in it’s failed lawsuit for the Aurora movie theater shooting.

Issued last week, the order comes after Judge Richard Matsch, who also presided over the Oklahoma City Bombing trial, dismissed the gun control group’s lawsuit aiming to hold Lucky Gunner and other online dealers culpable for the 2012 shooting.

“A crazed, homicidal killer should not be able to amass a military arsenal, without showing his face or answering a single question, with the simple click of a mouse,” said Brady Center’s Legal Action Project Director Jonathan Lowy at the time of the lawsuit. “If businesses choose to sell military-grade equipment online, they must screen purchasers to prevent arming people like James Holmes.”

Arguing that online ammunition sales are “unreasonably dangerous and create a public nuisance” didn’t play well at all with Judge Matsch as he eviscerated Brady Center’s complaint as pure proaganda.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF
MARYLAND...INTERIOR NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL
VIRGINIA...EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...INTERIOR SOUTHEAST
VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...THE MIDDLE PENINSULA OF
VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA AND THE PENINSULA OF
SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION FROM LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WHILE THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM IS
STILL UNCERTAIN...SNOW IS EXPECTED SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION ON
FRIDAY WITH ENOUGH WARM AIR SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA TO CAUSE THE
PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE TO A WINTRY MIX OR POTENTIALLY ALL RAIN.
AS A RESULT OF THE UNCERTAINTY ON THE PRECIPITATION TYPE...AMOUNTS
OF SNOW AND ICE ARE STILL DIFFICULT TO PREDICT AT THIS TIME.

"Secretive and highly classified" government information has been found on the private email server Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton used when she served as secretary of state, Fox News reports.

A letter sent to senior lawmakers by top Inspector Gen. Charles McCullough on January 14, and obtained by Fox, reveals that intelligence agencies identified emails involving "special access programs," or SAP — a level of classification beyond "top secret," according to Fox News.

"There is absolutely no way that one could not recognize SAP material. It is the most sensitive of the sensitive," a former senior law enforcement officer told Fox News.

In fact, an executive order signed in 2009 says, "the number of persons who ordinarily will have access will be reasonably small and commensurate with the objective of providing enhanced protection for the information involved."

Four West Midlands schools have been closed and thousands of pupils evacuated after a series of bomb hoaxes on Tuesday. Leasowes School in Halesowen and Bristnall Hall Academy, Oldbury Academy and Holly Lodge in Oldbury were all evacuated after receiving threatening phone calls on Tuesday morning, it is reported. Police attended all the locations and several other local colleges are...

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — With just about three months to go until the primary election, a new poll shows the leading Democratic candidates in the race for U.S. Senate are in a dead heat.

At this point, it’s unclear who will emerge as the front runner to replace retiring Senator Barbara Mikulski.

Political reporter Pat Warren explains.

Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen poll to a virtual tie in the Democratic primary. Despite extensive TV ad campaigns, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Democrats are only two percentage points apart.

The Gonzales Poll finds that Van Hollen and Edwards are still not well known outside the D.C. suburbs. Van Hollen polls at 38 percent, Edwards at 36 percent.

Of late, we’ve come to appreciate Coulter’s blunt criticism of the “Republican” elites in Washington, D.C. – which is often in line with our own criticism. This week Coulter took direct aim at the new face of the GOP establishment – S.C. governor Nikki Haley – whose national audition as the leading critic of the conservative wing of the party didn’t go so well.

After blasting Haley’s immigration record, Coulter kicked it up a notch in an interview with Fox News radio this week – calling her a “bimbo.”

Now, that’s truth in advertising. Commie Bernie Sanders is offering a chicken in every pot and a frozen humanscicle in every street. In Birmingham, Alabama on Monday he spoke to thousands. AFTER he kicked out the homeless into sub-freezing temperatures to make room for his rally. Why couldn’t they send those people somewhere warm, rather than boot them into the street? This is what you get with an acclaimed socialist, who is in reality a communist, when he implements his policies. He preaches equality and taking care of the downtrodden, when in fact, if they get in the way, they get cast aside. What did you expect? Actual caring?

With temperatures in Birmingham expected to dropped to 20 overnight Monday — the lowest temperature thus far in 2016 — the place where the city’s homeless usually go to seek shelter from the cold was unavailable.

Boutwell Auditorium, typically used as a warming station in such situations, was not available Monday night because presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders spoke to a crowd of thousands. Factoring in wind chill, it was expected to feel more like 15 degrees on the streets of Birmingham.

Last week, the auditorium housed about 300 people a night when it served as a warming station for three nights.

“We’ve never had a night like this where it will be in the teens and we weren’t able to open,” said Don Lupo, of the mayor’s office of citizen’s assistance.

Due to the extremely cold temperatures predicted for tonight, January 18 and the next several days, the Director of the Montgomery County Animal Services Division Thomas Koenig is announcing enforcement of Executive Regulation 10-10AM, Anti-Cruelty Conditions for Dogs.

Section II-C of the regulation states that “a person must not tether a dog under circumstances that endanger its health, safety, or well-being including: unattended tethering of the dog during a weather emergency.” The enforcement of this regulation is put into effect during periods of high heat and humidity, and during conditions of extreme cold, wind, and heavy snow which can all be damaging to dogs and other animals. The penalty for this violation is a $500 fine.

Montgomery County Police Animal Services officers want to remind citizens to be particularly careful with all pets during this period of cold weather. The best advice during periods of extreme weather conditions is to bring pets indoors. Even animals that are accustomed to living outdoors can be susceptible to the dangers of cold weather. Livestock animals should have a place to get out of the wind and dry bedding should be provided to protect them from frostbite.

ASD Officers will be on-call, patrolling neighborhoods and responding to any animal-related emergencies. If you see an animal left outside that appears to be in danger, please call the Animal Services Division immediately at 301-279-8000.

A hearing is scheduled this afternoon in Baltimore City Circuit Court as Judge Barry Williams considers a motion filed by Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby to force Officer William Porter to testify for the state at the trial of the five other accused officers.

Amid the partisan feuds and panic of a looming fiscal deadline, Congress passed a budget deal in late 2015, but lawmakers also “snuck in” a few changes to Social Security applications that National Institute of Transition Planning Benefits Director Tammy Flanagan said should not be ignored.

“Some of the strategies that people use when they file for Social Security are not going to change, but some will,” she told Federal Drive with Tom Temin. “It’s no longer where you can kind of turn one benefit on and delay the other one to a later date. You’re going to turn on all of your benefits and you’re going to receive the highest of what you’re entitled to.”

Notably the changes will impact filing a restricted application and the “file and suspend” strategy.

“Those are the two strategies that are going away,” Flanagan said. “The first group are the people who are going to turn 66 on or before May 1 of 2016. If you’re going to turn 66 before May 1 of this year, you can still file and suspend. You can still do that so that your spouse can file on your work record. Also people who turn 62 before 2016, so if you’re already 62, you can still file a restricted application when you reach your full retirement age, even if it’s four years from now. So there are some people who will still be able to take advantage, they’re kind of being grandfathered in to this new provision. If you’re only in your 50s, or haven’t turned 62 by 2016 or the full benefit age for the other group by May 1, then … those strategies won’t be available to you.”

In that order. I know D.C. isn’t a state, but it is a state of mind. But that’s good information. Useful too. We can’t forget our base, but we’d like to connect with more people in other places where there are lots of feds and retirees. And in more remote areas where, even with the Internet, news-you-need is hard to come by. Finding Missouri among the top 10 was a nice surprise. I have a brother who works for Uncle Sam there. Plus lots of cousins, some of whom are unemployed, but mean well.

The numbers were a good reminder that D.C., while nice, isn’t the center of the universe. Over the years, we have received reports here indicating there are vibrant civilizations in those 10 states. Plus other places. This may explain, in part, why their football and baseball teams beat ours so often. And that there are also successful federal government outposts in places like Oklahoma, Utah andAlabama. So is this true?

SALISBURY, Md. - Bingomania, the Eastern Shore’s largest bingo cash prize event, returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, February 6. Doors open at 5 p.m. for early bird games and regular games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to Bingomania includes all regular and special games, including the Jumbo Jackpot Game. Regular game payouts are $500 while special games will pay out $1000. The Jumbo Jackpot Game pays a maximum of $10,000 depending upon attendance.

Increase your chances of winning and help a local food bank at the same time by bringing three non-perishable food items to the event. Those who do will receive three additional cards for the first early bird game.

Tickets are $45 per person in advance and $55 per person at the door, fees may apply to ticket prices. Tickets are on sale now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Ave., Salisbury, MD; M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.

All proceeds benefit the Mardela Middle and High School Bands. For more information contact the Mardela Band-Aides at 410-677-5170.

(Salisbury, MD) Registration is open for Wicomico Recreation’s Coed and Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Leagues. Both programs are sanctioned through USSSA.

Coed Slow Pitch Softball is open to men and women ages 16 and older. Games will be held at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex (and other county fields as needed) on Sunday afternoons. Registration is open now through March 11. The season begins April 3. The program consists of two divisions to accommodate recreational and competitive teams.

Men's Slow Pitch Softball is open to men ages 16 and older. Games will be held at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex (and other county fields as needed) Monday through Thursday evenings. The season consists of 22 games followed by double elimination playoffs. Registration is open now through February 26 for league / individual entry, now through March 4 for team entry. The season begins March 21.